Only good

The Shabbat before Passover is called Shabbat HaGadol, “the Great Shabbat.” On the surface, it marks a remarkable moment in the story of the Exodus. Just days before leaving Egypt, the Jewish people were commanded to take a lamb and prepare it for sacrifice. This wasn’t just a ritual act; it was a bold, public statement. The Egyptians worshipped the lamb, and here were the Jews openly declaring that they were about to offer it to G-d.

What happened next was unexpected. The Egyptian firstborns, realizing that this meant a devastating plague was coming, turned on their own leadership. They demanded that the Jewish people be set free. When they were refused, they fought against their own people. In other words, the very force that represented Egypt’s strength and opposition became an ally for the Jewish people.

That’s what makes this Shabbat “great.” Not just because a miracle happened, but because of the kind of miracle it was.

There are different ways to deal with negativity or opposition in life. Sometimes you fight it. Sometimes you avoid it. But the highest level, and the message of this Shabbat, is transformation. The idea that what seems like an obstacle can actually become part of the solution. That the very thing pushing against you can, in time, start pushing for you.

We all experience our own version of “Egypt.” Situations that feel confining, people who seem resistant, parts of ourselves that hold us back. The natural reaction is to try to break free by force; to push harder, argue louder, or walk away entirely. And sometimes that’s necessary. But Shabbat HaGadol introduces another possibility: what if the challenge itself could change?

What if the difficult conversation turns into understanding? What if the resistance at work becomes support? What if even our own inner struggles become the source of our greatest growth?

It’s not always immediate, and it’s not always easy. But this is a powerful mindset shift. Instead of seeing the world as divided between “for me” and “against me,” we begin to see potential everywhere, even in places that don’t look promising at first.

This idea is deeply connected to Shabbat itself. Shabbat represents a state of peace and harmony, where the world is not something to battle, but something to elevate. At its highest level, it’s not just about stopping negativity, it’s about transforming it.

We live in a time that can feel very divided and very tense. It’s easy to fall into a mindset of us versus them, of constant friction. Shabbat HaGadol reminds us that real strength isn’t just in overcoming opposition, but in changing the nature of that opposition altogether.

This coming Sunday is also the 11th of Nissan, the birthday of the Rebbe, Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson. One of the most striking things about the Rebbe was the way he looked at the world, always with a positive eye. He didn’t ignore challenges, but he saw in every person and every situation the potential for good. Where others saw barriers, he saw opportunity. Where others saw distance, he saw connection waiting to happen.

He believed deeply in people; not just as they are, but as they can become. And that belief had a real impact. It inspired countless individuals to rise higher, to do more, and to see themselves and others in a more hopeful light.

As we approach Passover, the holiday of freedom, this is a message worth carrying with us. Freedom isn’t only about escaping what holds us back. It’s also about changing how we see the world around us; recognizing that even challenges can become partners in our growth.

Sometimes, the greatest breakthroughs don’t come from defeating the obstacle, but from discovering that it was never an obstacle to begin with.